The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-04-20
THE BOYCOTT.
HOW 1T is CARRIED ON AMONG
NATIVES OF INDIA.
Very Curious Examples of the Prac-
tice-Whole Families Boy
cotted for Many Years
What Gold will Do.

| " " 1--WE
Boycotting, differing in some part1cu-
lars from the way in which it is done IN
the land where the English term orig
mated, has been practiCcd for ages In
India. Says Hindoo writer in the
81. James Gazette: There is great differ
| encc between Irish and Hindoo boycott
ing. The former is based mainly on
political, semi-political or fiscal reasons;
whereas the latter is practiced on purely
social or religious grounds. Then the
Irish is sevcrer than the Hindoo method
in this sense-that no tradcsman will sell
anything to the boycotted man, who IS
more or less like prisoner in his own
house; whereas a boycottcd Hindoo can
buy neutrality-suspicious. or go to any place
he likes, only people will not 60 to his
house or associate with him or his family
in any way.
On the othe- hand, the IIindoo is
sevcrcr than the Irish boycotting in that
the latter may be only temporary, and
rises at the caprice of the boycottcrs
where rs the formeriS often permanent, or
can be done away with only by going
through certain cXpiatory rites or costly
ceremonies. which come hard, even on
the richer CLASSES. \ man may be boy
cottcd in Ireland for no fault of his own,
but in India bovcotting follows upon
| breach nf observance of some time
honored custom or by any public offensc
against traditional notions Of proprlcty.
Indian boycotting is allied to outcasting,
but is quite distinct from it and not half
so severe. A man can lose his caste only by
breaking one of its wcll-dciincd rules,
which are quite different from mere
customs for observanccs. An outcast
man is necessarily boycotted: but boy
cottcd man keeps his caste all right as
long as he does not act against its rules.
Again, man may be outcast, but not his
family for that reason; yet his relations
will be hoycotted if they associate with
him.
Let me now cite some examples: Some
years ago a learned Pundit gave his
daughter in marriage when she was few
years older than the prescribed marriage
able age among the IIindoos: and the Of
fcnse was rendered douhly hcinous By the
perpctrator being Brahmin of high
ordcr. He was strictly boycottcd accord
ingly: and, ] believe, notwithstanding
his great reputation as ascholar and be-
ncvolcnt person, and in spite of his en-
dcavors to propitiatc the Brahmins in
many ways he is still avoided by ortho-
dox Hindoos. \ whole family has been
boycottcd for receiving and associating
with one of its members who returned
from England and had lost his caste
through eating with Englishmen. One
gentleman has been boyCOttcd forever for
getting his widowed daughter married.
II anybody's son or daughter-in-law as
sociates with non-IIindoos publicly the
offending individual is outcasted and the
whole family is hoycottcd. If ason does
not mourn for his deceased father in the
prescribed manner he is boycottcd. In
some parts Of India men are boycotted
for wearing trousers Of European fashion
OF, indeed. any dress that was not worn
by their ancestors Of a thousand years
ago. 4 well known historical example of
Hindoo boycotting is that of the Jcyporc
royal family, which was boycotted for
hundreds Of years by the other Raipoot
royal families for being the first Hindoo
family of princely rank who offered
daughter in marriage to mogul En-
peror. In Rajputana whole tribes are
often hoycotted if somebody does not
properly observe the traditional customs
or forms a connection with lower caste
or with non-Hindoos.
But nowadays boycotting can be raised
in India by judicious use of the al
mighty gold. 1 may mention a we'll
known case. A distinguished HindoO
gentleman and merchant of a large Indian
town was bovcotted for reforming pro-
penSitieS. His old orthodox mother. who
| lived in the country. OH the occasion Of a
religions festival directed the servants as
usual to distribute offerings Of rice, fruits
and swcctmcats among the Brahmins OF
thc ncighhorhood. TO man they re-
fused to accept the same on the ground
that her son was dcscrting her caste.
The old lady MAS deeply chagrincd and
began to be mnrtally afraid Of the destina-
ton Of her soul after death. On hearing
| this her son went down to his country
house and ordered the servants to take
the offerings again to the Brahmins, this
time placing five rupees on each of the
plates. The cXpcdicnt answered wonder
fully well. The very Bruhmins who o
few hours before had turned away the
servants ignominously now came run
ming to the merchants house and literally
/ scrambled for the presents. This story
seems TO justify the saying Of another
rich Hindoo that "casle was in his iron
chest"
Boycot,ing and outcasting are made
doubly oppressive to IIndoo women, and
for the most trifing reasons. 4 married
woman not putting the sindoor "a red
POWDER on the parting of her hair is boy
co,tcd. In the country if mothcr-in-
law eats or lives in the house Of her SON.
in-law before her daughter has a child
she will at once be boycotted. A young
married lady was boycottcd for not OBJ
serving scme ceremony ut the birth Of
her child. a man can regain his caste by
performing his expiatory rites; but an
outcast woman, especially if she has
broken away from the zcnana or asSo-
ciatcd with nom -TIindoOs is never taken
back to her caste. -
Where Immigrants Come From.